Sons of Anarchy @ Comic-Con: Jax Will 'Incite Chaos' in Final Season — Plus: A 'Serious' Prequel Update

What doesn’t send you to the grave makes you stronger. So, perhaps Sons of Anarachy showrunner Kurt Sutter (and a handful of his characters) will develop superhuman strength when FX hit wraps filming on its seventh and final season later this year.

“Eighty-nine percent of my family think that this season will kill me,” Sutter noted during the show’s panel Sunday at San Diego Comic-Con.

Odds are even higher, though, that several series regulars will perish before the tale of SAMCRO’s not-so-merry band of criminals concludes.

Here are a few of the panel highlights:

JAX IN A BOX? | Is the fate of Charlie Hunnam’s flawed hero already decided — and if so, how grim will it be? “I know where I want our hero to be emotionally and thematically at the end of the season, but I try to keep a loose grip on the story process so we can get there in an organic way,” explained Sutter, who is currently writing the seventh script of the final season (and is in post-production on Episode 4). “I can never tell what it’s going to look like or how we’re going to get there, and that’s part of the fun.” Actor collaboration, the showrunner added, does play a role in how story arcs develop.

Whatever Jax’s fate, though, Sutter noted that Season 7 will be “the most proactive our hero has been throughout the entire series… This season he comes out with blinders on, singular in purpose. Rather than being the reactor to chaos, he is the inciter of chaos.”

HOW DO YOU PLAY A PROBLEM LIKE GEMMA? | “It’s an awesome thing… as an actor to be actually saying words and thinking different words,” explained Katey Sagal, when asked about her villainous matriarch. “Any time she is relating to her family, her son, her love for Nero, there’s a certain vulnerability about her that really offsets that hard ass edge she has exterior-wise. She’s going to be even more multilayered this season as she tries to hold together what she does in the name of really protecting her family one more time.”

Sagal added that Gemma is “always about what’s the best thing for the kids – that’s kind of her thought and her motive, and she’s continuing to try to do that. As you’ll see, what transpires from that somewhat pure motivation just kind of goes awry.”

LOVING LOVE | Sagal noted that high-profile Season 7 addition Courtney Love “did a very good job” in their scenes together, and “looked very different from what we have known as Courtney.”

GETTING BOOKED | Sutter noted there are “serious conversations” being had about a Sons prequel, but in the interim, there are comic books and a full-on novelization definitely happening. The latter, titled Bratva, is expected this fall — with a storyline set sometime after Season 4 that finds Jax, Opie and Chibs getting into “gnarly things” with the Russians. “If it does well I’m hoping like William Shatner I will continue to flourish as a guy who has other people write s**t and slaps his name on it,” the exec producer joked.

Whatever future Sons has on TV, though, it won’t be a spinoff, Sutter added. “Spinoffs work well, obviously, in procedural dramas, which this is not,” he said. “To me, the most interesting thing about our mythology is the origins, but because we don’t do flashbacks on the show the prequel will be about the origins between John Teller and Piney Winston. My sense right now is that I don’t know if it’ll be a full-on series. It might be a miniseries. Our hope is that we’ll let the mythology rest for a couple seasons and then do the prequel, so we’re having conversations about that.”

TRAILER TERROR | “That trailer scared the hell out of me,” said Dayton Callie, who plays Chief Wayne Unser, speaking about a dialogue-free montage set to The Association’s “Never My Love” that began with a scene of an inmate being held down and beaten by a pair of assailants — one of them being Jax. Other teases? Gemma and baby at home, getting the kids off to school in mundane scenes of motherhood. The Sons driving down the road on their bikes — led by Chibs. Juice doing pushups. Wayne putting flowers on Tara’s grave. Wendy packing a bag. Nero Padilla and the Mayans drinking beer. And then, another flash of Jax’s violence, as he cuts a swastika into his victim’s stomach and yanks out two of his teeth.

AN EMOTIONAL ADIEU | Following a two-minute standing ovation from the audience and cast, Sutter jokingly shouted, “Sit the f–k down. I’ve got an image!” Ultimately, though, the EP got choked up, adding “We’re just one big f—ed up family, and this is such a bittersweet experience… The thing I’m most grateful for is I walk through our set and I know that everyone wants to be there, and everyone’s really grateful, and everyone really likes the show that there working on. And that’s the gift for me. So thank you.”

I understand you’re probably still upset that Tara was killed. However, since Jax is in jail & is clearly beside himself with grief, picking out a headstone probably hasn’t occurred to him yet. And that’s the sort of thing you want to do yourself – not delegate it to someone else. S7 picks up 10 days later. When I ordered my parents’ headstone, I was told to wait 6 months to a year before placing it because the ground needs to settle.

I seriously don’t think I will be able to take an entire season of Gemma acting all normal and being around those babies…. But I’m sure that’s how it will be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for the season, but that is going to kill me.

The sons of anarchy was so good, it brought back alot of my son’s upbringing and mine as well being a single mom. I was born, raised in. L.a so was he. It was all about survival and family. I wish the sons would stay. I’m sure they’ve impacted alot of people.

This is the most inciteful, socially irresponsible show ever, it is also sooooo mediocore, in 7 years no Emmy noms or SAG award noms. Sutter is a fool who had his own wife graphically gang banged for ratings, he is all violence this show is made for the high RPM low IQ crowd, with all the kids being killed by gun violence in our schools, is it really a good idea for FX to have this gun running show that makes gun runners look cool to low IQ people on basic cable, I can only hope the kids of the parents putting this crap out there have there karma hit them, they are making a lot of money and screwing up our society.

Smart one,
Did you not do ANY research on the various award shows??? Seriously get a grip, you have obvious issues about watching SOA. My advice, DON’T WATCH then!!!!! They did an episode on gun violence and kids showing that is really messed up in society and if you paid close attention Sutter was very clear about the shows stance on school shootings… it is also rated TV MA..MA Mature Audiences, doesn’t sound like to me you are mature enough to deal with the show.
Here is a full listing of awards for the show just so you know next time before you run off at the mouth…
Showing all 6 wins and 25 nominations
Golden Globes, USA 2011
Won
Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Katey Sagal

Critics Choice Television Awards 2012
Nominated
Critics’ Choice TV Award Best Actor in a Drama Series
Charlie Hunnam
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Katey Sagal
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Maggie Siff

Satellite Awards 2013
Nominated
Satellite Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jimmy Smits

Satellite Awards 2011
Won
Satellite Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Ryan Hurst
Tied with Peter Dinklage for Game of Thrones.
Nominated
Satellite Award Best Television Series, Drama
Best Actress in a Series, Drama
Katey Sagal

The show comes on late and warned of sex. Violence. Ect. So parent’s shouldn’t b letting their children watch the show …. I know it is hard too have seen things that have happened on this show but because I love it so much it I hurts me and I have been crying tears of joy and even more tears of sadness and grief , and to have the people hating and loving characters means the the actors did a great job . I Love The Sons 💀

The IQ comment … is a bit silly, so is the wishing bad karma onto kids. Sons of Anarchy is about as real as Grease and Breakfast at Tiffanys. Just sit back and enjoy it or turn it over and watch something more pleasing to your senses. I am a fan of SOA and I have a high IQ, so one of your points is …. pointless. Tara’s death is the impetus that Kurt can use for wrapping up the series. He obviously can’t make it to season 10, so this is how he can achieve the finale. I enjoy the one hour of fiction each week, so bring on the prequel.

I am going to miss this show and the characters very much. Sutter is a brilliant writer and although I look forward to seeing what he does on his next project, TBE, I will miss SOA. WTF Sutter for toying with my emotions. If Jax does have to go, I hope it’s with his shirt off! Rock On Katey! RIP SOA